Sora's first reaction to suddenly finding himself in a small space, then that little space turning into a large room was not that different from how the rest of the key bearers felt when it happened to them. The second reaction of being uncomfortable now that they were alone with no way of knowing the fates of their friends was about the same as well. The same went for the third reaction of going on even though knowing, whether skipping, sprinting or walking backwards they were still on a path Xehanort had laid out. All that work and they still couldn't get a leg-up on Xehanort's plans. Their early arrival had won them nothing.

As she crossed the room to the next door, Kairi pondered such things. She was determined to find a way back to her friends and maybe a way to knock down a wall in this rat maze somehow. She continually reminded herself of how strong and skilled her friends were to keep herself from worrying about what might be happening to them. But she also had to focus on the problems directly in front of her. What would she find beyond the next door? How many would she end up going through? Would she find worlds of memory like before? Twisted memory worlds? Something worse? Kairi put her hand against the door. Kairi took a deep breath. Everyone else had, at some point, faced a challenge or the dangerous unknown all on their own. She could too. She would. And she'd get through it fine.

Kairi flinched at the blinding brightness she faced once the tall white door opened. Once her eyes adjusted,

"Oh!"

The door had revealed the white sands, clear skies and sparkling waters of the Destiny Islands. The door opened at the top of the bridge that faced the plateau with the paopu tree. The top door to the shack closed behind her as Kairi stepped out. She suspected if she opened it again she'd find the stairs that led to the other side of the shack. After all, there was no option of retracing steps here.

But unlike the other worlds created from memory she'd seen before, there didn't appear to be anything wrong. Seabirds warbled unseen from their nests. Waves whispered their eternal songs. No smoke. No fire. No monsters. No Heartless. But it was obviously an artificial world. When something's off about something you love, you tend to notice quickly. The sea breeze didn't feel right; neither did it taste subtly salty. But this place only looked like the island she knew. Unlike Sora and Riku, this was her chosen home. She chose to fall in love with island life. There is a special difference between what you're given and what you choose. Deep down Kairi always knew that somewhere, something called her name from across the stars. But as much as she wanted to discover that voice, Kairi new she would always be pulled back to the Islands. And that was okay. That special feeling was her safeguard against these fantastic illusions.

Kairi wondered how her friends fared mentally with seeing the special places they knew turned so horrid and ugly. They may have said they knew it wasn't real, but how many had just said that in an attempt to make themselves believe it didn't bother them anyway? But that also made her wonder why this version of her home wasn't warped or twisted like before. Unless the point was just to devote energy in tying her brain in a knot wondering why it looked so normal. Well it worked.

Fully expecting a Heartless or something to show up any second, Kairi jumped down from the bridge to the beach. So far nothing. Kairi first went to the left of the bridge where, up a small incline, was another door. Might as well check out all likely places the next castle exit might be. But there was just the rickety door that led to the next beach. Actually, it wasn't even that. It was just a solid slab of wood. Well, at least that eliminated some ground for searching. Kairi backtracked and stopped in the middle of the beach. Ahead the dock stood somberly in the water. To her right the waterfall grumbled quietly. Kairi didn't like that. To her, that waterfall always sounded like a distant crowd laughing. It wasn't supposed to sound like that. She didn't want to be around such an insulting mockery of what made her home so wonderful. There were a few places that seemed likely for where the door to the next room might be. To the far right of the dock, a platform had been built between the main island and a large rock that came out of the shallows. Maybe the door was in that rock wall. Or maybe up in the treehouse.

Kairi stopped mid-step on the second board ramp by the waterfall pool. She scowled at the waterfall and its wrong sound despite its beautiful crystalline appearance. But she couldn't say why it irked her the way it did.

"Feeling nostalgic yet?"

Kairi nearly jolted out of her skin. She whipped around, looking for the voice that startled her. Xigbar stood on the platform leading to the treehouse, leaning against the ladder with his arms crossed.

"What do you want!" Kairi snapped.

"That could've been said a little nicer, don't you think?"

"Well you don't exactly inspire the best in people."

"Eh, maybe not." Xigbar shrugged.

"What are you doing here?"

"Just making sure you're enjoying your stay." He said a little too pleasantly.

"Yeah, right."

"You're right. Hospitality isn't really my thing."

"So why are you here? You said six-to-one wasn't a fair fight so are you crawling out now that there are better odds?"

Xigbar chuckled. "Simmer down, your highness, there will be no showdown between us."

"You don't strike me as the kind that doesn't fight girls," Kairi said sarcastically.

"I'm flattered but you give me way too much credit."

"So you must think you're good enough to take my heart without me putting up a fight for it!"

"Surprisingly, no."

"Why don't I believe you? Xehanort needs my Light and I'm supposed to believe you weren't sent here to take it?"

"Really! Honest!" Xigbar put up his arms innocently. "Believe it or not I just have a few things you might be interested in hearing."

"Uh-huh. You don't exactly inspire trust either."

"Whether you trust what I have to say is up to you. But as it directly concerns you, I'm sure it could scare up even a little bit of interest. It's over there, by the way."

"What is?"

"The door."

Xigbar jerked his head in the direction of the entrance to the secret place. Kairi looked at him suspiciously.

"Oh come on. Where else would it be? The door to the next room of Castle Oblivion is in the same place as the Heart of your island." He made a gesture for her to carry on.

"Yeah, sure, so you can attack when my back is turned or collapse the tunnel once I'm through and the door not even be there in the first place?"

"I could go first if it would make you feel better. Never actually got to see where the Heart was. Of course, I still might get the chance. In fact, if I put my name in for the job soon enough, I can guarantee it."

Job? "Are you seriously going to make me ask?"

Kairi didn't like the way he smirked like he knew something she didn't. Although, as uncomfortable as it was to think about, he probably did.

"Look around. There's a pretty important detail about your island I don't think you or your friends have thought of yet."

Kairi stepped back when Xigbar jumped from the platform to the ground. She really wished she was taller. That way knocking him hard in the nose for looking so smug would be easier. He continued,

"Through that little passage is the door to your worlds' heart. The story goes you were actually right there when the Heartless tore it open. Isn't that right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"And thanks to the valiant deeds of the 'hero of the Keyblade' your world was restored, heart and all."

A kidney shot would be easier if she could get behind him. It would be no less than he deserved for those mocking air quotes when talking about Sora.

"Let me ask you something; is your home world safe?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" Kairi asked sharply. "Of course it is.

"Is that so? Then I guess I was mistaken. My bad."

"You're really going to make me have to ask, aren't you? If it makes you get to the point, fine. What are you getting at?"

"Well, there's really no point drawing it out if you're sure your world's safe; if you think the Heart can't be taken again."

"Of course it is. A world can't lose its Heart twice."

"Oh? Can't it? We all know that once a world's Heart has been sealed away by the Keyblade it is forever out of reach from Heartless or any other forces that might try to take it. Falling into Darkness just isn't on the table anymore once the Keyhole is sealed."

"I know that already."

"Naturally. I mean, how stupid it was of me to think when Sora and Riku finally returned to the Destiny Islands, sealing the Keyhole wasn't the first thing they did."

Kairi opened her mouth to speak but almost immediately closed it again. Her stomach iced over with panic. After they came home, had either Sora or Riku actually sealed the Keyhole? Surely one of them would have said something if they had. Had they all been under the assumption a world couldn't lose its heart twice? Had they believed so strongly they'd fought the Darkness back so well there no longer was any danger? How-? How had this never crossed any of their minds before? Or was Xigbar lying? Was it possible for a world with a restored heart to, sorta, seal itself? Like an act of self-defense after the trauma? Or were the Destiny Islands just as vulnerable as the day they finished their raft?

The sound of Xigbar's amused grunt snapped Kairi back. Her fear must have shown more than she realized. For a moment she was off-guard. And Xigbar found it amusing.

"Even if you can, there's nothing you can do that we can't make right." Kairi said as defiantly as she could. Xigbar had already seen her shaken and scared. She wasn't going to let that show again. Anything not to have him look at her with such triumphant smugness again.

"Perhaps you're right," Xigbar shrugged. "Worlds can have their hearts restored. But," He paused, that grin returning. "Would you risk your friends on your world should it fall to Darkness again?"

"Risk? What do you mean 'risk'? If anything happens to my island home it will be because of what you did, not me! Unless," A sickening thought ran a hot dagger through her stomach. "This-this is blackmail, isn't it! That's why you're here, right? Threatening the safety of my world in order to get my Heart for the big plan?"

"Blackmail? That is such an unsavory word."

"Call it what you like but that's exactly what you were going to say, right?"

"Not necessarily. Even a guy like Xehanort is a bit more couth than that."

"Then why would you bring it up if not to use it as leverage?"

"I suppose you could see it that way. But there is another way you could get yourself out of this thing no worse for wear in any way. Xehanort's willing to make an offer where you can come through completely unscathed, heart intact and all."

"Yeah, like I'm going to believe that. Any deal Xehanort could propose is sure to be revoked as soon as he gets what he wants! Besides, don't think that you can trick me. How can you 'promise' my heart will be safe when it's my Light Xehanort wants?"

"Well, deciding whether or not Xehanort's word is true is up to you. For what it's worth I can personally attest that Xehanort has every intention of holding up any bargain he makes-."

"With loopholes at every turn."

"-but as far as your heart goes, it is completely possible to make use of your pure light for the ultimate Keyblade without having to take your heart. I see you look a bit confused so I'll tell you a little story to clear things up.

"You obviously wouldn't know this because you didn't have your heart at the time, but it's easily possible to use the light of a heart without having to actually take it. Way back when, that witch, Maleficent, put all the Princesses of Heart into a deep sleep. When they were all gathered she tried using their Light to create the Door. But you were just a shell at the time, so, naturally it didn't work. The Hearts of the princesses were still apart of them the first time around. It wasn't long after that Xehanort's Heartless figured out your heart resided within Sora's. That was when he took the other six hearts to create a special Keyblade to unlock hearts. Yours would have automatically become a part of the Keyblade once Sora's had been unlocked to release it. But I guess the important part of the story is to prove Xehanort could use your Light without any harm coming to you at all in any way. You could offer it willingly and walk away not even out of breath. You could go home, free as a bird."

Interesting story about the first adventure but it was hardly enough to convince her to want to learn more.

"Even if I said yes, what good would that do? One of seven won't get you far. And I can guarantee you won't find the others. Besides, you can't possibly expect me to even consider a deal for my own safety and leave my friends behind!"

"Yeah, selflessness can be a really irritating trait sometimes," Xigbar shrugged in a bored sort of way. "Still, not saying you have to make a decision this second. If you need some time, consider it yours. I was just supposed to give you a few things to ponder. So please, ponder away. Consider your options, your friends, your island, yourself, it's all up to you. Later, your highness. And I wasn't lying about where the door is."

A geyser of Darkness erupted beside him and Xigbar turned and vanished through it. Kairi gritted her teeth. Strolling off? Just like that? Not like he was good company. Still…her thoughts went back to what he said about the Destiny Islands. She looked around at the false world. What if he wasn't lying? Would Heartless be sent again to destroy it? Could it really be in danger? Did Xehanort really intend to hold the entire world hostage if she didn't offer her Light for his cause? Not like she could trust that he'd uphold his promised end of the bargain and let her go safely and leave the Destiny Islands alone. Not only that, Kairi knew she wouldn't be able to live with herself if she agreed to aid Xehanort in even the smallest way, even if it was to protect something she loved. The trade-off could never be black and white.

Her mind heavy with difficult thoughts, the Princess of Heart ducked into the secret place and kept going.